The Sword and Shield of the Universe
by Nahji
Summary: Fem!Ben Azmuth The Great Thinker is Known throughout the universe as a being in possession of a very dangerous mind. The most dangerous thing he'd ever come up with was the Omnitrix. Meant to be a shield against Evil, only someone truly Good could ever be worthy of wielding it. Well, it's a good thing Annie Tennyson found it and not some other weirdo.
1. Chapter 1

Annie opened the door to _Max's Plumbing_ feeling triumphant. She'd woken up early enough to add almost 4 extra miles on to her morning run and then her Mom had relented on her new reign of healthy food terror to cook pancakes, with actual pancake batter this time. If you asked her milk and egg substitutes everywhere should be banned. Like forever. Then Gwen had called her on the drive to HQ to tell her about this hilarious thing Kevin had done last night. All in all, it was shaping up to be a pretty great morning. She would have stopped for an after-breakfast snack but Grandpa Max called to tell her he had something important to tell her so she skipped it and picked up the pace. Which leads her to now: stepping off the elevator into Bellwood Plumber HQ.

"Hey, Gramps, what do ya wanna gab about today?" Annie called out when she found her Grandpa standing just behind the bank of control monitors observing the city. In the lower left corner, she spotted some Plumber cadets checking her, Gwen, and Kevin's last baddie, Zombozo, into the prison 30 feet below them.

Max sighed when he saw his granddaughter and put an arm around her when she came close enough. He knew she wasn't going to enjoy what he was about to say but it had to be done.

"Well, Annie I've got some news for you dear. Your being assigned a partner, permanently." Max knew it was only the shock that gave him the chance to finish his sentence because a second later she was wrenching herself out from underneath his arm so she could argue with him face to face.

"What! What the fuck do you-"

"Antoinette Marie, you watch your mouth!" Max instantly glared Annie down and she immediately shut up, she knew the rules after all. Both she and Gwen were only allowed to curse during fights or when they were being sewn up in medical. One because it was a fight, so of course they were going let a few bad words slip and the other because stitches hurt. Max had certainly let loose a few times when something ridiculously bad happened, but he made sure the girls knew they weren't allowed to go around cursing the air blue just because he wasn't in earshot. And they got it mostly, but Annie sometimes got worked up and cursing seemed like the only way she could really express her feelings on stuff.

"I'm sorry Grandpa Max," She said truly remorseful but still unwilling to back down, "But I really don't want a partner okay? Do I really need one?" She asked, "I mean I've been fine for two weeks almost, I haven't even gone to medical once. And I've been following all the rules and everything! I read all the baddies the Intergalactic Miranda Rights and I report in every day and I alert the closest patrol when I run into something. And the first three days I didn't even cause so much as a _pothole_ Grandpa! I've been super, super, _super_ good." At this point, Annie was ready to get on her knees and whine if she had to. She simply could not, absolutely would not get stuck with whatever uber-boring, rule-abiding cadet the Magisters would deem good enough to keep watch over 'The Sword of Azmuth'. Annie got hives even thinking about it.

Max spoke up to stop Annie before she could really get on a roll, "Annie, Gem, you're right, you have been really really good these past weeks but a grandfather still has a right to worry about his granddaughter, alright?" He held up a hand to stall further protests.

"Yeah, you do" Annie conceded his point, "But Grandpa? Did you forget that I have instant access to some of the most powerful beings in the next two galaxies?" She said waving her Omnitrix clad arm in front of her. Max gently grabbed said limb to make sure he had Annie's full attention.

"Be that as it may Antoinette, you also can't deny that you can't rely on just your wits and the Watch to get you out of trouble all the time." He lectured.

"What will you do when the Watch times out during a difficult fight? What if Ghostfreak acts up again and we have no way of knowing until you're possessed body makes it's way back here?" Max let go of her arm to cup her delicate face. He still remembered being there at her birth, she had been so tiny then, a warm squirmy little pink-faced bundle in his arms that giggled and grasped at his fingers. From the day he'd meet them Max had been wrapped around both his Granddaughters little fingers, ready and willing to do anything to keep them safe.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something terrible happened to you and I could have prevented it," He chuckled when she shamelessly nuzzled into his palm, Annie was always a cuddly child, "Do you really think I would stick you with someone boring? I think you'll quite like who I picked out. He's a good cadet, top of his class shows great skill in hand-to-hand combat and logical thinking. Don't grimace at me, young lady." He scolded.

"He's also highly adaptable, able to readjust strategies mid-battle and not much slows him down when he's given a mission. Loyal too, the only technical smudges to his record are when a mission went south and he prioritized getting his team to safety instead of completing the mission. He even offered to take all the blame on his own." Max explained, looking down at Annie's thoughtful face. He thought her thinking face was adorable.

Annie ignored her Grandpa's face, she knew what he looked like when he was mentally bragging about the 'cuteness of his lovely granddaughters!' she and Gwen had learned to whether the silent and sometimes verbal dotting with patient grace since Max didn't do it that often. She just stepped fully into Max's personal bubble to bury her face in his chest and breath in his odd scent of alien cooking ingredients, aftershave, motor oil, and the special polish he used to clean all his plumber guns. Max's arms came up around her automatically, holding Annie to him and letting her lean all her weight on him.

This was her usual thinking pose: Annie would find one of her family and just flop on their lap or chest to block out the world and think without interruption. The first time she did it to Kevin he thought she had passed out or something and had full on thrown her over his shoulder and run to Gwen nearly screaming about how she was 'totally sick or something!' and to 'please not kill him' cause he didn't do anything. His face when it was explained to him that it just meant Annie trusted him completely and his scent was something that helps calm her down and think was even funnier. Annie relaxed even further into her Grandfather when he started petting her shoulder length hair. She spent the next 10 minutes with her head buried in Max's chest, 5 of those minutes were spent actually thinking about this so called 'perfect partner' and the last 5 were just so she could enjoy her Grandpa's warmth. She didn't see much of him these days now that he was retired from field duty and working full time as one of Bellwood's permanent Magisters, she missed him.

Annie stepped back and heaved the most put-upon sigh she could manage making Max chuckle at her dramatics, "Okay fine, I'll try and work with who you picked. But if he goes around criticizing the way I operate we're gonna have some problems, alright Grandpa?" She bargained, holding out her hand so they could shake on it. Max took it without hesitation, he knew he had picked the perfect Plumber to protect his Granddaughter and fight _with_ her, not for or against her.

They shook and said a firm, "Deal made!" and Max walked her over the elevator while telling Annie that her new partner was already out and waiting for her so they could get started on their first case together. Apparently, a store had been blown up last night; a victim of a protection racket that was going around threatening off-world immigrant store owners for taydenite. Her new partner was already out patrolling the city for any activity, Annie was to go check out the site of the explosion and look for any clues about what went down. As she left the garage she hoped that this case stayed away from Mr. Baumann and his store, the man already popped a blood vessel if he even saw her on the street. Fighting near or, Cosmos forbid it, _in_ his store would make him so mad he'd make her bi-monthly chore day absolutely hellish if it got trashed. Again.


	2. Chapter 2

It was easy for Annie to find _Pakmar's Place,_ just look for the crater. According to Plumber records, Pakmar had immigrated to Earth and decided to open a little toilet emporium which serviced both aliens and humans. " _Looks like Pakmar's Place has gone to shit."_ A giggle slipped out as she swung off her bike, " _Stop with the crap jokes Annie. It's time get serious. Let's count the possibilities."_

She tightened the gloves on her hands, and stepped up to the lip of the crater. It'd been hell figuring out a weapon that would work with both her alien and human body, and would transform smoothly with her. The gloves tied into the Omnitrix so they changed as she did, let her stun enemies and gave her a better grip; the matching boots could pop out spikes and had grippy soles, crucial when you went from an incorporeal being made of mist and nightmares to a vulnerable human teenage girl.

"Wow they must be using something with a high charge yield if it leaves a crater this big," she muttered and opened the communicator on the Watch.

"HQ? it's Infinite. I'm on site at the explosion." Learning the right way to speak on the comms had taken forever but Annie always felt a little cooler when she did it, and it always got an ooh and aah out of any kids in the vicinity.

"Infinite, this is Magister Piccadilly, you are go."

"Yeah Piccadilly, judging by the size and depth the perps are using something with a large yield, do you think it might have left residue behind?"

"Looking at satellite now Infinite... yeah, Infinite that definitely left something behind, scan it and I'll have labs start tracking around the city."

"You got it Piccadilly, scanning now." Annie thumbed the watch into scanner mode and aimed it at the crater, a green beam hit the ground in front of her as she carefully made her way down, sweeping her hand back forth. Having the resources of an intergalactic organization at her fingertips made figuring out a baddies next move _so_ more easier than when she was younger. The watch chirped when she got to the middle of the crater.

"Scan finished, sending now Piccadilly."

"Received, sending to labs now… says it'll take about a few to process and start looking for hits around the city. Stay on site and look around for any more evidence and if possible get a statement from any witnesses if they're still around."

"Affirmative Piccadilly. Infinite out." She hung up and turned around to climb back up the side of the crater fully intending to start turning toilets over when the sound of something big hitting the ground caught her attention. It was something big and as usual alien: a big alien something.

"So, uh, you didn't happen to see what did this? Did you?" The big alien something rushed her with intent to harm. She dove to the side rolled and slapped her comm open, "Hostile on site HQ! Repeat, hostile on site! Engaging now!"

Annie darted to the side when it rushed her again and scrolled through aliens calling out, "Expand my probability, Cannonball!" hit the dial and turned into…Spidermonkey. She huffed "I swear Azmuth makes it do this on purpose, I didn't even _ask_ for an upgrade this time!" Annie complained to the attacking alien while using a web to swing up and out of the way of another charge.

" _He's_ the one who makes me come in! I was fine with the old one, but nooo! 'The bearer of my Omnitrix must be able to fight any opponent and for that, I must expand its ability to integrate new DNA.' _oof_ " She mocked the old Galvin in a throaty voice as she shot webs at a big piece of loose concrete. Swinging it around she used it to try and tangle up the beast's legs up but it bent its head and used its horn to tear up the webs.

" _Strong and semi-intelligent. Fuck, I'll have to actually try this time."_ She swung up and over the beast's head to the other side of the crater and webbed another, bigger piece of concrete. Annie counted to three Mississippi before she _pulled_ and swung the concrete into its head sending it off course and stunning it. She skipped backward, all six eyes scanning her surroundings looking for anything she could use to fight when suddenly the beast roared and turned away running up the side of the crater and into the darkness of a half-collapsed building. She stayed in a battle stance counting heartbeats.

" _3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi, 5 Mississippi, 6._ Okay, what the fuck?" the last part was out loud as she looked around confused, she usually had to kick a bit more ass than that to get baddies to run away from her. Weird. Annie kept her senses focused even as she untensed and let go of the transformation, starting to walk around the crater again.

"Is it gone!?"

"Fuck the what!" Annie almost broke her neck trying to turn towards the sudden voice while trying to dial in another alien and judging by the way the little blue beetle looking alien hiding in the toilet was looking at her, she looked pretty damn funny too.

"Uh, yeah. It's gone now, you can come out of…there." That toilet looked really odd.

"Hey, you're Pakmar right? You own, um owned, this store?" Annie questioned him, it, them? Alien species tended to get wild with gender, so Annie usually stuck with calling anyone she met by name until she learned what pronouns they preferred.

"Yes, I am Pakmar. And this was my place. Pakmar's place." Pakmar declared as they climbed out of the toilet and grabbed a broom and dustpan that was miraculously still intact and started sweeping. They must still be in shock.

"Well Pakmar, the Plumbers have heard rumors of an alien protection racket going around Bellwood. Did they do this?" She asked, flipping the watch open to record their conversation.

"They didn't tell names and didn't stick around long. Stayed long enough to threaten store, collet tayden, and leave. They come in, set bomb down and ask for all taydenite in my till, then take taydenite and bomb and leave." The little being kept sweeping and Annie bent down to help them pick up what they couldn't move getting a thankful nod in return.

"Slow week, this week. Not enough this time, they take teyden but leave bomb. _Pakmar's Toilet Emporium_ ruined!" Pakmar cried out. Annie crouched down to Pakmar's height with her head turned away, offering her presence as comfort without making them feel like they had to hold it together in front of her. Pakmar muttered, distressed for a few minutes before it sorrow was interrupted by a little chirp. The lab was finally getting back to her with results.

"Don't worry anymore Pakmar. Plumber HQ has tracked the bombs those thugs are using and I'm going to head to the next store they plan to threaten to put them away for good!" Then Annie looked at exactly where she was supposed to go. " _Goddamn, I jinxed myself like a fucking rookie."_ She shook her head and turned back to Pakmar.

"Please stay here, some other plumbers are on their way and they're going to want to ask you a few questions, and then they're going to arrange for anything you need for the time being. Alright?" When Annie got a sniffly nod she beamed and bounced to her feet, long legs carrying her up out of the crater and onto her bike. She wasted no time on getting her helmet on and was soon revving down the street, using alleyways to cut down on travel time. As long as she explained she was on the clock for superhero duty she wouldn't be arrested, as long as she didn't do anything too extreme.

Pulling up outside _Baumanns'_ Annie was ready to fight. was unrelenting about her being near his store on a good day, getting permission to fight _inside_ was going to be a battle in and of itself. She tightened her gloves and mentally pulled up her big girl panties, it was time to get shit done.


	3. Chapter 3

Annie directed her bike around the back of _Baumann's' Grocery_ , hopped off and prepared herself for the biggest fight of her life: getting Mr. Baumann to let her in his store. The old man would fight tooth and nail and then some, but it was her duty to keep Bellwood and her citizens safe, even a crotchety old man that yelled a lot. Mostly at her. Also, mostly because of her. I mean how, just how, was she supposed to know why Mr. Baumann's store always got destroyed when she was near? Literally every single time Annie was near something in the store broke. Every time! The man was cursed or something.

She was getting off track. Mission time was serious time. Annie being able to take the punches the Universe threw was essential to the continued existence of a Universe. So, it was time to go to work.

Annie picked the back-door lock and entered the storage room. She dodged boxes and shelves to stop next to the door to peek in through the little glass window. Seeing no one coming her way or in the back aisles she leaned back and thumbed the Watch open.

Annie scrolled over to XCLR8, prayed _'Please be nice new Omnitrix'_ and pressed down. Feeling the familiar stretch and pull of transforming Annie could only hope that even if this testy new Watch didn't give her what she asked for it would still give her a relatively low-profile alien…She turned into Wildvine. Annie huffed and ducked out of the back room.

' _At least I'm not Cannonball or Azmuth forbid Humungousaur.'_

Meandering between aisles Annie paused every couple of steps to pretend to pursue shelves. If the extortionists were already in the building not looking like a space cop was essential to not getting herself or, more importantly, a bystander shot. Or worse hostages. A shudder worked its way down her spine, she hated hostage situations. They were rarely easy and never ended cleanly. Annie shook her head, now was not the time to get distracted, now was mission time and lives are on the line! She may or may not be a little more nervous about meeting her new partner than she wanted to admit, even to herself.

Mentally shaking her nerves off Annie made her way to the little bistro near the front of the store. Baumann was a business genius. He offered fresh groceries, in-store eating, and you could even get groceries delivered. He covered all his bases and did it well last, she checked he made a very healthy sum each month. Rounding the stand, she took a seat at the bistro while side eyeing the cloaked figure sitting at the other end.

' _Hmm, doesn't seem to be hiding aggressive behavior and the civies don't look like they're pretending to not be hostages. Could just be someone who's shy about being out 'n' out in public, or one of the thugs sent a lookout.'_ Deciding to keep one eye on her seatmate Annie gave a curt _hemhem_ to get Mr. Baumann's attention.

The old man turned with a customer ready smile in place, "Welcome to Baumann's! I'm Mr. Baumann, how can I help you today?" And then he saw the Omnitrix symbol on her currently leafy chest. The switch from polite friendliness to spitting mad was truly impressive and something only triggered by the sight of Annie and Annie alone.

" _What_ do you _think_ you're doing! Out! Get out! Not today Tennyson, and not _ever_! Get _out_ of my store before I _throw_ you out!" Leaning over the counter and hissing at her seemed a bit extreme but she supposed the man was allowed some liberties. But Annie was here on business, so she raised a hand to stall the rant before it could really begin.

"Stop Mr. Baumann. I'm here on Plumber business, so unless you _want_ your store to be a crater in the ground I'm not leaving." Her soft but stern words shut the man up and his, very, reluctant nod let her go on. "A protection racket has been going around the Underground and HQ says they're going to show up here next, today. Is that intel correct?" She asked. In the corner of her eye, her mysterious seat partner shifted on their stool.

In return, Mr. Baumann sighed and crossed his arms but nodded yes. Annie sighed too, "This has been going on for a month Baumann, why didn't you alert the Plumbers?" Why had this been allowed to escalate this far? Someone's livelihood had gone up in smoke today, what was no doubt years of work reduced to ash and rubble just because no one picked up a phone. Annie could never understand why anyone would let themselves be subjected to treatment like this. Her very soul demanded she punch out any fool who thought they could make just innocent people suffer just because they have power and others don't.

Mr. Baumann shifted uneasily under her glare. "I uh, I heard about what happened to Pakmar. Is, is she okay?" Her asked avoiding looking at her. Mysterious Cloak fidgeted again.

"Yeah," Annie sighed glad to know what pronouns the little shopkeeper went by, "She hid in one of her toilets and was able to ride out the explosion despite being at ground zero. By some miracle there was no one else in the store at the time, apparently, Pakmar always closes the store 'for lunch' before the extortionists stop by to visit." Her explanation eased some tension from the store owners' shoulders.

Before she could interrogate Mr. Baumann further a _bingbong_ chimed from the front doors. The way Baumann tensed up again told her all she needed to know before she turned. The thugs had arrived.

Annie gave the newcomers a once over before turning back to the counter. Three hostiles: fish-outta-water, not-so-little chicken, and Missus Roboto. And they had a bomb with them. And her mystery partner was still a no-show. Ugh, heroing is a hard-damn job that only gets more difficult when you're on your own so where is her new partner?!

"Aaawk! Listen up, Bauman! We've come for the protection money, but Boss says to double it this time." Chicken Little spoke up as he and his crew approached the bistro counter.

"Double! But you just incre-!" Mr. Baumann's protests were cut off by fish-outta-water setting the case he was carrying on his shoulder down with a _clank_ , "U-uhh, Silly me how could I have forgotten the price we already agreed on? How forgetful of me." He chuckled nervously and reached down to get the lock box for taydenite from the bistro still.

Setting the heavy metal box on the counter, Baumann got the bag with the usual amount from his pocket and began adding in the extra tayden. Annie narrowed her eyes _'He really knew they were going to come today. Why not alert us in advance and bust them and the entire protection ring in one go?'_ As Baumann turned to hand the bad over his eyes met hers for just a second.

She sent a vine to snatch the bag just before it landed in Missus Roboto's servo inciting angry reponses from the three baddies and Mr. Baumann.

"Sorry guys, but extortion is a major felloney, and threating to bomb a pubolic place is considered terrorism by the Plumbers Association. So please, put your hands behind your head, kneel on the ground and surrender peacfully." Annie spoke as she got off the stool. The Baddies Three gasped as they caught sight of the Omnitrix sybol on her chest.

" _sqwak_ It's Annie Infinate!"

"Is The Sword!"

"Azmuth's Choosen!"

Fish Bowl growled, slammed the bomb down and actived it, _'No way in hell am I going down without a fight!'_ a transparent red sphere shimmered into existance around the bomb.

"No!" Annie shouted, tossed the tayden bag over her shoulder to Baumman and whipped three vines at the villans _'Damn it! Three baddies and still no backup!'_ The trio scattered, pulling out weapons while all the civilians in the store screamed and ran for the closest exits.

Annie moved closer to the bomb and grew thorns on her vines as she whipped at the barrior to test it's strength. Unfortenly it held under her assult. Damn. She skittered back from the bomb as two of the Bad Trio came at her.

"Antoinette Tennyson! You had better not mess my store up more than strictly nessecery! Or I'll have your hide!" Mr. Baumann shouted before ducking a from the lady bot.

"Mr. Baumann!" Annie grunted as she blocked punches from the bot and the chicken, "I'm kinda in the middle of something!" She hissed and sent two vines to try and wrap up the chicken since he was better at hand-to-hand, and swung the rest at the robot to get her to back up and give Annie some breathing room.

Suddenly the watch timed out in the middle of her blocking kicks from the chicken dude, and she was human, and she had no vines to hit her opponet with, and she wasn't going to get her arms up in time, and a roundhouse that strong would send her flying an-!

A russle of fabric, and a short of 'pew' noise and Chicken guy was sent flying back into a shelf. Annie was left standing there braced for an attack that never came, her arms up to protect her head. She turned around.

A male looking blue alien was standing there with a gun in hand, obviously having to fired on Drumsticks. Annie spotted the pile of fabric on the floor at his feet and realized what she was looking at.

"Mystery Cloak!" She gasped, looking shocked.

As if in reply the alien lept in action, literally, jumping over Annie's head and delivering a devistaing drop-kick to Missus Roboto. While kneeling the gun was converted to a bow and Bubble Boy was then taken out by the laser arrows.

Annie snapped out of her shock and primed her taser gloves in case this new blue interloper was just more competant backup for the Baddie Trio. "State your name and puropse here! Now!" She ordered.

Blue and Armed turn towards her, a small concertranted frown on their face and looked her over with cat-like orange eyes. "I am Rook Blonko, Magister Tennyson sent me. I am your new patner."

' _Why the hell did you wait this long to introduce yourself?!'_ Annie yelled mentally.


	4. Chapter 4

"I am Rook Blonko, your new partner." Armed, Blue, and Serious told her.

' _Why the fuck didn't you introduce yourself earlier!?'_ She mentally shrieked.

The bomb beeping more rapidly as the countdown got closer to zero distracted her from her angry confusion.

"Okay! Rook, was it? We need to get this bomb to a less populated area and _now_." Annie opened the watch and started scrolling, she needed someone big, tough, and relatively mobile, "Do you have transportation? Once I get this thing off the ground I'm going to be moving fast to get clear of civilians and you will be left behind if you don't keep up." Oh! That was perfect, she slapped the activator and let her chosen alien take center stage. Armordillo would be a big help with all the lifting she was about to do.

The other teenage looking alien snapped to salute when she began issuing orders. "Yes, Specialist Tennyson! I have a large vehicle for the purpose of transporting criminals back to holding Ma'am!" Oh, stars she hated being addressed by her official rank in the Plumbers. But Annie didn't have time to scold over eager privates.

Mr. Baumann almost vaulted the counter in his anger, howling: "Tennyson! You had better get that bomb away from my shop! And my customers! And my car!" The man was red-faced and practically squealing.

"Baumann chill out! I'm getting the bomb out now, but you need to calm down and get anyone in the store and nearby to the shelter under the store _now_." She snapped. "Private! I need you on scanning for signs of life and opening up a doorway."

"Yes, ma'am!" Rook snapped and unholstered his rifle-net thrower thing from his shoulder. A palm slap to the butt opened the top into a scanner that he used to start sweeping the area. A _ping_ came back on the second sweep, "A building is still under construction four miles away." He turned the rifle-scanner-bow into a laser and began cutting into the wall, Baumann was thankfully to busy ushering people down into his bunker to protest _too_ vocally but did growl in Annie's direction just to remind them they were going to hear from him later. _Great_.

Annie started prying up the floor around the bomb to carry it, the forcefield had cut right through the floor and concrete beneath to make the shield practically impenetrable. She finished hauling the whole thing up on her currently yellow shoulder and turned toward Rook the Rookie. "Is my exit ready Rookie?"

Said blue (possibly)boy shot her a confused look over his shoulder but returned to lasering through the last few inches of wall. "I do not remember introducing my self as Rookie, Specialist Tennyson. I am called Rook. And yes, the exit point," He stood and gave the loose wall a strong kick, "Is ready for you ma'am."

Annie settled the bomb across her shoulders and decided to ignore the rookies misunderstanding in favor of checking with Baumann. "All clear Mr. Baumann? The countdown on this thing is getting short and I have ground to cover."

"Yeah Tennyson, everyone who was on the street and in the store is down there," Baumann grumbled and climbed down the ladder into the cellar. Rook moved to help close and seal the hatch, but Baumann shot a hand out to halt its progress. He glared right at Annie and growled, "You had better come back here Antoinette. Someone has to reimburse me for all the damage you've done today." And he slammed the hatch closed.

"…Love you too old man." And smiling as widely as Armordrillo's face would let her Annie called out for Rook, "Hop in your ride Rookie we're on the move!" A powerful jump put her on the roof and soon she was moving towards the abandoned building at a good clip. The roar of a powerful engine on the street beneath her told her the Rookie listened. She loved being a hero!

* * *

Annie and Rook took off down the street, one on foot and the other in a vehicle. Annie braced the force field encased bomb on one should and used her free hand to help her with jumping from roof to roof. Her comm beeped twice before Rook's voice came from the Omnitrix embedded in her armored chest.

"Specialist Tennyson! You are three buildings away from the target area! My scans show that the area is still clear of life." He reported.

Annie jumped from an office building down on the rooftop gardens of some apartments then tapped the Watch face once, "Thanks for the heads up Rookie, I'm landing in the site right…. Now!" She grunted she jumped down onto the construction site.

A truck roared around the corner mere moments after she touched down bouncing over the curb and cutting the wheel to pull an impressive on-the-dime stop next to her. Rook jumped out of the driver's seat before the vehicle had even stopped completely that odd shape changing gun aimed and at the ready. In an impressive act of wordless communication, Annie looked at Rook, the alien nodded, and she hurled the bomb down into the unfinished foundations of the office building that was going to take just a little longer to be built than the city previously thought.

She turned and covered Rook as they both heard the distant echo-y sound of the bomb's counter flatlining and then a muffled _WHUMP!_ Annie counted one, two, three, four heartbeats before the shockwave of the bomb hit them. Several relatively small pieces of debris _pinged_ off her back and Annie could hear the wood that had been used to start framing for the foundation of the building falling or hitting the chain fence. _"Thank the stars they hadn't starting putting steel in yet or Patelliday would way more to yell about."_

If asked Blonko would fully admit to being more than a bit of a fan of Annie Infinite. How could anyone not be? She was a child that found an all-powerful weapon and immediately turned to help people with it. Sure, she stumbled along the way and might have made a few mistakes but who on any planet could truly claim the right to carelessly swing the harvest blade and not be cut?

Hearing about the young Earth girl that was fighting against Vilgaxx himself from the plumber stationed on Revonnah had inspired Blonko to go against his father and master and join the local academy. He worked and studied and trained until he was at the top of his class. Hearing he was being transferred to Earth was exciting, finding out his assignment was for the same base that Annie was stationed out of was thrilling, but the real dream come true was having the Magister Tennyson approach him. Him! To be the partner of Annie Infinite herself! Blonko almost fainted on the spot.

He had only just managed to receive the personal file on Antoinette before he was sent into the field to back her up because of a developing potential terrorist situation. He was glad that he made his way to _Baumann's_ before she did, it gave him a chance to access the environment, plan potential civilian escape routes, and most importantly: calm and center himself before he both met and worked with his hero in person.

Scout had warned him that to meet your heroes was to be disappointed in them but Blonko did not find himself disappointed.

Annie was both more and less than her legends. Less in that she did not appear to be half as arrogant and full of herself as rumors might speculate. More in that she was highly experienced in live combat situations and could adapt on the fly in a way that only growing up fighting for her life could prepare her.

When she had slinked up to the bistro and sat down next to him Blonko thanked the gods for the cloak he wore to disguise his Proto-tool and hid the embarrassing way the fur on his face ruffled as he blushed. She was lovely in person, the flowers that bloomed from her head in her Florauna form released a sweet floral scent, and when she turned back to her human form he found himself enchanted.

She wore a Proto-Armor of her own in her signature gold, her brown hair braided back from her sweet face and pulled into a ponytail, fingerless leather gloves with metal knuckles and large braces around her delicate wrists. The chest of her armor was thicker and ended at the bottom of her rib cage to give her a larger range of movent than he needed, and her lovely well-muscled legs were protected by the gold armor that made drew the eye naturally to just how much muscle she carried there.

When he had seen the look of (very) brief fear cross her face as the fowl-like alien tried to kick her in it Blonko just, _reacted_.

Before he knew he up and rushing across the room and capturing the criminal trio as quickly as possible, the less time they had to run amok was less time they spent trying to hurt _his_ Annie. He repeated a constant refrain of _"Do not fanboy. Do not fanboy. Do not fanboy. Please by all 3 moons_ do not _fanboy in front her!"_ He was so distracted by not embarrassing himself he accidentally mistook her giving him a nickname for her mishearing his name and immediately became too ashamed of his faux pas to tell her he had a full understanding of Terrans erratic naming habits. His plumber classes in Human Interaction 101 were very comprehensive.

She issued orders for an immediate exit and then, like a comet pulled by gravity, he followed her sun-colored form as she leaped from rooftop to rooftop. He followed as she rushed into the construction site and confirmed lack of life when she checked with him and tucked his head when she protected him. But it was not until he was looking up and then down into her armored and then soft slightly flushed face and she was asking him, verbally, if he was okay that Blonko realized he had done it. He had done exactly he wished when he was young: he trained and studied until he finally got the chance to leave his small world and met his hero.

And she was beautiful.


	5. Chapter 5

Annie released Rook from her protective curl and de-powered, "Are you hurt Rookie? Also, are you gendered? If so, what is that gender? And if your race doesn't use genders please don't be mad at me for asking, I just really wanted to know how I should address you." Oh, by Azmuth! She hated how she rambled when she was on an adrenaline rush.

Rook looked a bit shocked to have so many questions thrown at them at once. "I am well Specialist, and my species uses male and female genders and I am a male. Specialist."

Huh, that was a little awkward sounding but hey (and thank the stars she finally knew what to call him) this was his first time doing real field work and as usual this had gotten intense pretty fast with her involved. So far they had good chemistry and he seemed to be just as adaptable as her Gramps had claimed. Annie was kind of beginning to hope he'd stand up to the pressure of being her partner.

 _-_ _Infinite! Come in, Infinite! -_ Patelliday's voice barked out of her communicator.

"Roger this is Infinite HQ," She responded.

 _-_ _I just got the labs back on these scans you took of the bomb site and started mapping the city and we got a big hit back. -_

"How big?"

 _-Like we might have found their base of operations big_ _,_ _Infinite. -_

Annie snapped whiskey-colored eyes up to meet cat-like orange. They both started running for the plumbing van parked sloppily on the outskirts of the now destroyed construction lot at the same time.

"Upload the coordinates to Private Rook's vehicle and have some boots on the ground ready to start evacuation on standby Magi Patelliday! Oh! And call Baumann and tell him he can leave his basement!"

They hopped in the van and Rook put his foot down before he even had the engine all the way started and they both buckled up one handed. Rook, because he was busy guiding the van through a turn, and Annie because she was busy scanning the hologram that had popped up on the dash.

"Looks like they're in Underwood Rook! Cut a left up ahead and follow the road down to get on the highway, we can take the east tunnel down into town."

"Yes, Specialist Tennyson!" Annie flipped the sirens on and started radioing local police about a possible large-scale bomb treat in Underwood. 20 minutes later they turned onto the ramp that would lead them to the Alien part of the city from the Bellwood tunnel.

Underwood was half an actual city, and half an alien refugee camp that was slapped together during the first flood of aliens coming to earth when the general population became aware of other life. Set in a wide underground cavern, Underwood had housing, a flea market, and even some schools. Annie knew above ground there were several Alien friendly apartment complexes and most business were accommodating too. She also knew there were plenty of people that didn't take kindly to their outer world visitors but thankfully being racist was very much against the law and Annie was always happy to arrest an asshole. The townsfolk of Underwood were happy live in their cool, slightly dark cave, and trade and sell to anyone that came along. All of them quietly making new lives on earth enjoying a new-found sense of freedom for some.

But every town has its bad apples.

Annie directed Rook to park his truck just off the ramp into Underwood with the other cars and small ships and climbed out. Then she registered what Rook's ride really looked like.

"How did you get clearance to roll around in one of the chimera trucks? Blukic and Driba nearly breathed fire when I asked them to modify my bike for space travel." Annie was very aware that a delivery truck with her Grandpa's face plastered on the side with the caption _Max's Plumbing_ didn't look at all impressive at first glance, but that was the point. Plumbers needed to move inconspicuously and also have reasons for being in some truly weird places at weird hours and a work truck was just the ticket they would need.

Her admiration was rewarded when Rook gave a slightly smug grin and pressed a button on his key fob. The truck, true to her words, began to change into a small spaceship that looked fast and sturdy. "I am impressed you recognized a Proto-TRUK in the disguised form Specialist Tennyson, I was gifted this along with my Proto-TUL when I proved I was capable enough to handle it. And Magister Tennyson said that if I was to be working with you, I would need a vehicle that would 'keep up' with you." The alien actually held his hands up in quotation marks as he repeated her grandpa looking a bit awkward with the unfamiliar phrase. Which was actually really cute combined with his confused expression. Annie smiled.

"Yeah 'keeping up' with me is a full job, as I'm sure you've figured out by now what with the bombs and all." She mimicked his quotes with a laugh. "Anyway, from what I'm seeing on the scans of Underwood that HQ sent we've got to head in a _that way_ direction" She pointed to the west of the them towards an area of the cavern that looked to have very large drainage tunnels that lead out beneath the city. "The scans show a large concentration of the radiation the bombs put out somewhere in those pipes. I already radioed for HQ to send some extra boots to help with evacuation of it becomes necessary, but it looks like if we can just round up the suspects before they spend out any more bombs, we can have this cleaned up before dinner."

Annie checked her batman belt and resettled her gloves and boots, glad when Rook did the same without prompting running through a check on his own equipment for the work ahead. _'Hmm_ _,_ _showing good instincts so far, and he really does adapt quickly like Grandpa said. He might just work out.'_ She mused.

Annie's comm beeped again and she slid it open.

 _-Infinite uh, Patelliday here uh, well funny story actually –_

"Oh stars, just get on with it please Magister." She groaned

 _-Well you know those three criminals you knocked out and left with Baumann? Well, they uh, got away. –_

"What!" Hello voice crack, terrible to see you. "How! Please lead with any deaths or injuries Magister you know I don't like suspense."

 _-No deaths or injuries Infinite, just some startled Probies and scared civilians. They got free and waited until the extraction team got there to release everyone in Baumann's bunker to make their escape. They were last seen on foot descending a large underground tunnel that was unearthed when you let that bomb detonate. –_

"So basically, we gave them the perfect escape route." She sighed. ' _God damn it, why do criminals have to be crafty? I hate smart bad guys, they always put up the most fight.'_

 _-Yep ya sure did! –_ Patelliday's voice chirped.

"Not helpful!" Annie snapped.

Beside Annie Rook perked up, "Specialist, Magister! If they used a tunnel and there is a large concentration of the radiation the bomb they used emits, they could very well be heading to our location! It will simply be a matter of locating them and then tracking them back to their base of operations." He concluded.

Annie gave him an impressed look, "Good thinking Rook! All we gotta do is keep our eyes peeled and if we don't spot our criminals we can just head out to the base and do some recon before prepping a squad to bring them down." She grinned and went to sign off her comm when there was a _CRASH_ in the distance just right of the little parking lot off the entrance ramp.

They both looked up to see the very criminals they were getting ready to hunt down leaping over roofs and crashing through people's homes.

Once again, they traded just one look before bursting into action, running for the edge of the lot. Rook unholstered and leveled his Proto-TUL shooting off a grappling hook and wrapping one arm around her while she braced one of her own across his shoulders to keep them level as they ascended and separated to intercept the crooks.

"Infinite and Rook are in pursuit of the escapees Patelliday! Prep a squad for storming the base, wait for my signal!" Together they scrambled up, ran across a rooftop, and then targeted one criminal each to chase. She surprised Chicken-man by taking an electrified swipe at his head as he leapt down onto the same roof as her. He let loose a panicked crow and fled across the rest of the roof away from his companions.

Rook converted his grappling hook into a sword and stabbed at the Lady Nutz'n'Boltz, driving her down the rooftops and separate from the Bubbler and then they lost sight of each other.

Annie pounded across rooftops chasing Chicken Not-so Little as he headed somewhere deeper in the city with a panicked air about him. So, they really didn't expect there to be a Plumber at _Baumann's_ much less Annie herself. Good. People usually did things on autopilot when they panicked so hopefully Drumsticks would lead her straight to the base and, fingers crossed, to whoever was spearheading the entire protection racket and they could would wipe this particular criminal organization off the map.

Chicken Man jumped three roofs down to the street and started twisting through alleys trying to lose her, but Annie was right behind him and gaining. She wasn't going to let him escape her a second time. He heaved a little table outside someone's door over his shoulder at her head, but she primed her glove and punched it to pieces, mentally promising to have some taydens transferred to the owners account later. Chicken Man turned took a wrong left into a dead end, but just lowered his shoulder and charged right through the flimsy wall into the house beyond and through the next wall barely slowing down.

Annie followed, skidding over debris and pausing at the new opening in the cozy apartment, there was a drop off that looked out over a bustling marketplace. She might have lost him like the Chicken had intended if she didn't know exactly what he looked like and there weren't people pointing at him as he shoved shoppers and venders alike to make a path for himself. A shuffle and a distressed sounding coo pulled Annie's attention away from the new hole in the wall, hovering nervously in the door to another room was a bizarre looking alien, it balanced on two thin leg like limbs that came from a baby sized pod that presumably held its actual body and the pod itself was filled with a murky substance. It came from a swamp like planet then. Maybe. Hopefully.

"Oh, I'm so super sorry I have to capture this criminal, but I swear someone will compensate you for the damages and arrange for repairs soon! Bye!" She backflipped out the hole and away from any potential angry rants.

' _Gotta let Patelliday know about that too_ _,_ _today is a bad day to be a Plumber accountant.'_ She easily landed on her feet and took off after the crook again, _'After I bag some free-range chicken for Gramps…. maybe I should chill on the chicken names?'_

She used a back-hand spring to get the air needed to get to the tops of the shops and paused to scan for her rooster headed runner. There! At the same moment she spotted him he whipped his head back and saw her too.

' _Shit he/she saw me!'_ They both thought.

Annie started leaping rooftops as Drumsticks started really shoving his way through the bustling marketplace. But Annie had the advantage of no traffic and also a DNA changing watch and spun the dial for XLR8 but when she pressed it, she was - Oh no!

A growl came from her chest as she examined her paws, ugh! Wildmutt? Really! _"Ugh damn_ _,_ _I hit it too hard again. If only Azumth would just adjust the damn thing so it wasn't so sensitive, I wouldn't run into this problem anymore! But nooo, the watch is perfect the way it is, and I have to be the one to adjust, not the other way around. God, what a dick."_

Annie shook off thoughts of using the First Thinker for a chew toy and put her nose to the ground. Shifting through the ghostly images her gill-like sent filters brought her, _"Okay, lots of food, some alcohol being served in a place that is clearly not a bar and at 10 in the morning, ahah! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"_ She dug her claws in and took off after him again a victorious howl rising from her automatically. Wildmutt always loved hunting down prey even if what she tracked wasn't for eating.

Her paws were strong and could carry her far and they helped her eat up the distance between her and her prey. A graceful bound took her off the roofs and landed her just behind the prey, she caught a leg in her maw and yanked the prey off its feet and slammed it into the ground to stun it, let go, and stepped on its middle to still it. Putting her lovely fangs to its neck stilled its movements to escape her and then she relaxed back into her human skin.

"Put your hands behind your back Golden Chick, and if you even think for two seconds of running from me _again,_ I'll stun you with my gloves." Annie panted slightly and yanked a bit on the criminals' arms as she cuffed him. There had been _way_ too much running today and she hoped to be able to get what she needed from the crook and then pass the rest off to a Dangerous Resistance and Insurgent Neuralization (DRAIN) team and then have fun introducing her new partner to yummy greasy earth food. Damn she was so hungry.

Blonko was locked in battle swinging his proto-TUL in sword form at the robotic female of the three criminals he and Annie were chasing, forcing her to give up ground with each swing and herding her towards the edge of the roof. They needed to separate the trio and capture at least one for interrogation, from there it would be a simple matter of getting the location of the hiding place of the bombs and sending in a strike squad, probably lead by himself and Annie. And then Annie would look at him with her lovely green eyes and declare Blonko 'the most perfect partner anyone could have!' and he would impress her with his intelligence and battle prowess, and she would fall in love with him and they would get married at have three beautiful chi-!

Blonko found himself struggling to breathe after his opponent had rightfully taken advantage of his wandering mind and punched his diagram. This was thankfully a favorite move his old master would use to correct his overactive imagination too and so Blonko latched onto the offending limb instinctively and switched his TUL to the hand blaster and fired into where he thought the robot's torso was.

" _How absolutely embarrassing to be caught sky gazing in the middle of a fight!"_ Thankfully his aim proved true and his shots put a few dents and one hole in his opponent's torso, and she wrenched her fist away to stumble back. _"I cannot be caught off guard and get star struck by thoughts of Annie! I have a week to prove myself a capable partner to both her and Magister Tennyson! I must be perfect!"_ He clenched his jaw and steadied his aim at the female.

He would not be replaced!

The robot was clutching the new wound in her chest that leaked an oil like fluid. "That be hurting you blue stick boy!" She yelled in accented and broken English.

" _Hmm, likely from a poorer section of the galaxy and got her translator second hand or from a black-market dealer. She might have taken a job like this where she was practically guaranteed to get caught for the money or is a career criminal looking to get into a group that has better connections or more money."_ Blonko guessed.

He clearly aimed at her head, "Get on your knees and cross your ankles with your hands held out to either side of you and do not make any sudden movements or activate hidden weaponry, now! If you come quietly and answer any questions I ask, I will ensure the judge hears of your obedience." He ordered.

The female ceased her angry yelling to look between him and the blaster he had trained on her before she spit something in a language like hydraulics hissing and threw herself from the roof and into the street below.

"Brallada!" Blonko swore and followed, switching to the capture net he used in the store earlier. She was running though alleyways knocking over people and furniture alike with him three steps behind trying to get a clear shot for the net when the narrow alley ran out abruptly. The section of cobbled together housing was interrupted by mag-train tracks that cut through the slope they were on, coming from a separate smaller underground settlement beneath another city.

Blonko cursed again when, with a blare of the horn, a train blew past him with his quandary on top and waving far too smugly at him. He holstered his TUL back into the shoulder mount and paced the alley for a minute. He needed onto that train and trying to track it though the city would give the crime hitching a ride too much time to either get inside and take a hostage or jump off and leave him behind.

He grits his teeth, backs up a few steps, and jumps on to the train himself. No way was he losing a criminal on his first day! He'd be replaced and put on desk work before he could blink. Blonko hit the side of the train at the right moment to latch on to the ladder outside one of the cars, the sudden speed change and wide pressure almost sent him flying but he managed to hold on. He carefully hauled himself to the top of the car, and bracing against the incredible wind again, looked around to get his bearings.

He was two cars up from the end of the train and the robot was up farther near the start. He took his TUL, switched to the grappling hook and began using it as an anchor to help him get over cars without risking the wind taking his feet out and leaving him a smear on the sides of the buildings around him. Magister Tennyson really wasn't kidding when he said keeping up with Annie was a full-time job.

Annie looked up from the street meat she'd gotten from a vendor to see the DRAIN team she had Patelliday call for her finally coming up the makeshift street. She stood from where she'd taken a seat on the thugs back but kept a foot on him as a warning, he'd already tried escaping 3 times and it was annoying as hell.

"Specialist Tennyson! DRAIN team Alpha reporting ma'am!" The leader barked out while their whole squad snapped a salute. Technically Annie held a superior rank than all 6 because of her 'Hero' status. She had the security clearance of someone just below Magister status but could, if the situation called for it, override even them in a decision if the evidence backed her up. She could even arrest a Magister if she so chose though she really hoped it would never come to that. Screening of personal that high up was done on a bi-monthly basis and even the inkling of a Magister being under the influence of blackmail or the like was enough to get them put on probation.

Annie herself got subjected to the same deeply probing investigations' and always needed a day off after because of the sheer mental exhaustion. Ugh hopefully they'd give Rook and her time to settle into each other before Internal Affairs came and mind scanned them both. _'That damn machine is so fucking creepy.'_ Annie shuddered at the phantom slimy cold and tuned back into the DRAIN team in front of her flushing a bit when she realized she'd just been staring blankly instead of responding to the team captain. _'Oops must be hungrier than I thought.'_

"Ah, sorry." She gave a proper straight-backed salute back and the captain relaxed into parade rest. " _Ahem_ , if you've already read to briefing you know we're after a team of blackmailing bombers today after they escaped initial capture attempts at the site of an attempted bombing earlier today.

"I've managed to recapture one such criminal and I want him under full restraint and on the way to holding before we head out to the place, we suspect is the bombers main hideout. I have a Private in pursuit of another accomplice but the last one is still on the loose in the city. After we get KFC here on the way to jail, I want your team heading for the hideout to do some recon. Under no circumstances are you to move ahead with a breach without getting the green light from _both_ myself and Magister Patelliday first.

"I repeat, get confirmation from _both_ of us first. While you peek on the baddies, I'm going to be combing the local bars for any sign of the final accomplice and bring him in for interrogation. I want your team to be prepped for breach today but depending on what information I and HQ get out of these thugs we may back off to add teams on depending on just how many bombs they have in their possession. Understood?" She tipped her head up just a bit and kept her back straight and shoulders back. The body language of a leader.

"YES MA'AM!" They barked back giving her perfect salutes in unison. Two stepped forward to drag her feathered prize off to the armored van with a holding cell inside they'd parked at the end of the lane. She noted they had a Necrofriggian on the team and almost stopped her (the wing pattern was distinct between gender and sub-species type) to ask if she'd visited her home planet recently, but the mission came before gossip. Unless gossiping would help the mission get done faster. But what Annie wanted to know wasn't about this mission at all, so she buried her curiosity and refocused.

Orders delivered and understood the DRAIN team left her to start doing reconnaissance. Annie opened the Watch to pick a new alien to go bar hopping with.

' _Fuck alien bars are always so smoky_ _,_ _'_ She whined in her head, _'Whatever they smoke or burn, or some shit always sinks into my goddamn skin! I'll smell for days, and right when I'm about to be in close quarters with the new Private and he looks like he has sensitive nose. Ugh! This damn Bubble-Head better be in the first damn bar I looking or else!'_ Pouting Annie picked out Diamond-Head as her new form. After what Vilgax had done to them to see a Petrosapien hanging around a seedy bar asking about a possibly known criminal wouldn't be unusual at all.

Now elegantly tall and crystal skinned Annie headed toward the nearest smoke-filled bounty hunter bar.

Blonko was thanking the stars that the robotic criminal he was chasing was so sure she'd lost him. Trying to gain ground on her on a moving train while she was also running from him would be hard enough. He might be tempted to say something foul if she still actively running from him. Blonko jumped down into the gap between the car he had been perched on and the one that his quarry was clinging too and used his TUL to override the doors automatic lock.

In a few long strides Blonko was on the other side of the car, and outside in the wind again. He paused to switch to a net and mounted the TUL to his shoulder to keep his hands free to help brace himself against the incredible wind. _'For Annie!'_ he thought fiercely before using the ladder to pull himself up and over the roof and firing on the unaware criminal that was thankfully only two feet away. The criminal barely had a second to register Blonko popping up suddenly and start saying something that, going by tone alone, was clearly going to be a curse before she was wrapped up in the net. He activated the taser function and ceased her struggles before they could really begin and potentially threw them both off the train.

Blonko let his shoulders relax with a sigh. Almost as soon as his shoulders settled into their proper places just below his collarbone instead of up around his ears his communicator beeped out the pattern for an urgent massage. He took the little silver device off his belt and put a stop to the piercing noise by answering.

 _-_ _Rook it's Infinite. I just finished bagging our runaway chicken over in the northeast by a market. I've got the DRAIN team I called for here with me and they're setting up to do some recon on the potential hideout now. I'm about to go peruse some bars for information on the last escapee. I wanted to touch base before I went in. Report over. –_ Brallada! She already caught her runaway _and_ had called one of the high-level task forces to look for the hideout. Oh, Blonko would bet his Proto-TUL she looked breathtaking ordering them around! He was so mad he'd missed it chasing after some robo-girl.

"Private Rook reporting back Infinite. I just caught and stunned the robotic accomplice and was about to begin heading back to my TRUK in a few moments. Would you like me to secure her in the portable holding cell and then join you in questioning bar patrons, over?" Please say yes, please say yes.

 _-Negative Private_ _-_ Brallada! _-_ _I'm going to be questioning some beings that are borderline or blatant criminals and I don't think you're quite ready for uncover work. But I'm sending you the coordinates for the marketplace now,-_ His communicator gave a pleasant _ping_. _-I'd be grateful if you could take statements from beings there_ _,_ _help direct the teams that HQ is gonna send to start on clean_ _-up_ _,_ _and then be wait there for me to finish up. If it takes too long, I'll ping you again and you can join me. Over_ _-_ She offered instead and Blonko cheered back up, more than happy to do all he could to prove his worth.

 _-_ _Also, I'm getting lots of background noise on my end. Where are you anyway? Over._ _-_

"Hanging on the side of a moving mag-lev train Specialist. Over."

 _-… A, moving train? H-how did you, end up on this train exactly? Uh, over._ _-_ Annie's confusion was evident.

"I jumped on in pursuit of the runaway criminal Specialist. Over."

 _-_ _Sure, say it like that why don't you? Uh, Private if you're able to get yourself and your prisoner off the train without risking anything you're welcome to drop off your baggage and case the market like I asked, or if you're unable_ _,_ _just stay on the train until it comes to a station and radio the DRAIN team to come pick you two up. Your choice, over.-_ Blonko barely caught the first sentence spoken in a low tone over the wind but the rest was clear and easy to understand.

' _What did I say like what?'_ Blonko wondered. "It will be no trouble to extract myself and the prisoner from the train and begin the journey over to the markets location Specialist. I will be engaged in the taking of witness statements in," He checked the map of Underwood on his communicator. "30 earth minuets. Beginning extraction now Specialist, I will rendezvous with you soon. Private Rook out." Then Blonko jumped from the train, hauling his heavy cargo after him.

The goddamn bar was filled with goddamn smoke like the whole goddamn building was a goddamn hotbox. Fuck.

Annie gave a huff that carried a slightly hollow sound from her crystal chest and tried to look less irritated as she gingerly took a seat at the bar. The stool creaked but held under her weight well enough when she shifted one foot under her to keep most of her heavy body on her left leg. Most people were shocked that almost all of her other forms were over 300 pounds easy and could break most things she sat on or walked on. Gramps had almost banned her from going Way Big in cities because just taking the form tended to break the street under her feet never mind taking steps.

Eyes all over the bar locked onto her tall frame glittering in the smoke and low light of the bar and the Tetramand behind the bar was in front of her leering the second she settled on a stool.

"Wha' can I get cha' beautiful?" He croaked out an almost Boston accent to her ears, so he was from the lower cast of that particular race, the royals and upper class all had a more proper British-like tilt to their words.

"I'd like a sip of something with body." Code for 'I need to hire someone for a job.' All four eyes widened before he leaned against the counter with one set of arms folded in front of his chest and the other set braced on the bar top.

"I can offa you a fine selection baby gurl but what kinda glass do ya want it in? A slender champagne, or maybe a thickha whiskey, or would a sturdy beer be more ya speed darlin'?" Did she need someone with light fingers and lighter feet, a bruiser to teach someone a lesson, or a hired gun to keep someone from being too 'chatty'? Knowing the protocols to hiring a hit person wasn't very kosher to most of the more upright Plumbers she knew, and Annie had the feeling that her new partner might be more than a bit bewildered if he knew she knew such things. But most times Annie's job description was closer to 'infiltration and information gathering' than 'busting perps' then the general public would think so it paid to have friends in low places and commanding officers in respected positions for her.

"A nice whiskey mixed with something _bubbly_ would satisfy my craving just perfectly if you have something that fits." The bartender _hmmed_ and gave her a more contemplative once over than the lusty one he'd given her earlier but when her crystalline face gave nothing away like she knew it would he nodded and stood straight again.

"Ah'll need ta phone down ta basement and ask da stock boy ta bring up an approhpriate case'a _bubbly_ to suite yer craving Miss, gimme a mo'." And he stepped away towards a landline hanging on the wall next to a door that presumably lead to the basement where the extra liquor and a more private entrance/exit for high profile criminals were stored.

So, the Bubbled Wonder was a known criminal element in Underwood and was available for hire. If the hitman hotline couldn't at least get her a general location on him she'd just meet up with Rook and the DRAIN team to stakeout the possible bombers headquarters and see if he risked, his boss's wrath to come back and hopefully get him during the raid. Hopefully.

All eight feet of red skinned bartending alien lumbered away from the landline he'd been using and back to Annie who'd taken to scanning the room with an idle paranoia in his brief absence. The bartender leaned over the counter and thanks to his height over Annie and leered for just a moment but kept it mostly professional.

"Da boys ah digging up a nice year fo' ya now. Since this is such a high quality prohduct would the sparkling beauty like ta take her drink in a more private setting?" Annie would be taken to a private backroom for high rollers and then guided down to an underground tunnel system and brought to either another bar or a sub-cavern to meet with her bubbly escapee. If they hadn't figured out her real identity or just suspected her in general and tried to capture and interrogate her. It was always difficult to keep up with the current underground lingo, it changed and evolved faster than she did and using phrases or words too out of date was an easy way to out yourself as someone untrustworthy.

Since her crystal face didn't lend itself to being very expressive Annie lifted her head from the perch she'd made of her wrist, lowed it, and leaned her shoulders in while tilting her head down ever so slightly. Opening her body langue up from the previously closed posture and showing false interest, it was only polite after all: calling a Petrosapien any variation of 'shiny' was a high compliment.

"I'd be delight to sit somewhere less, crowded." Even if they planned to ambush her it was worth it to get out of this smoky ass main bar area. Annie rose from her careful lean on the barstool and found herself just a few inches shorter than the bartender, he gave a surprisingly gentlemanly wave and gestured her toward the unmarked door at the back of the bar.

Prepared to take on anyone who was potentially waiting for her she slinked her way over the low lights bouncing off her diamond skin and throwing little rainbows around the dingy atmosphere. Other seedy patrons watched her passing with greedy eyes, female Petrosapiens were rarely unaccompanied because of low female birth rates amongst the race so any females were usually highly treasured and married or promised early. Of course, the beings in this bar didn't give two shits about marriage or children and were more fascinated by her being made of a precious crystal and using her body to obtain a near endless supply. Her broad-shouldered guide growled audibly, and his other shady customers all turned their heads meekly. What a gentleman.

Annie stepped into the VIP area ready to club the Appoplexian waiting next to the inside of the door but when the other tiger like alien made no aggressive moves she kept her weapons to herself and decided to wait until they attacked first before she started whooping asses. The bartender motioned his equally buff counterpart into standing down and motioned her further into the room and shoved a crate aside to reveal a heavy looking metal trapdoor that he pulled open in an easy motion. _'Oh yay, the tunnel option instead of the ambush option.'_

He turned to speak to the Appoplexian, "She's ta go ta _the Star Nursery_ and meet wit' a potential hire. Guide her through will ya?" He instructed.

"Lemme tell ya something Va'sar! Crusher does his job better than anyone! Even escorting some pretty client through the underground tunnels!" Wow, was Annie that loud as Rath? No wonder Gwen started carrying around ear plugs for her and Kevin as she was always yelling like that in their faces.

"Aww, you think I'm pretty?" Annie teased her new escort. He made a half snarling kind of face she only recognized as embarrassment from being the same alien species and feeling embarrassed and catching herself making that same face in a window. The inability to lie, speak at a reasonable volume, and every emotion coming across as angry or less angry were several reasons why Rath was almost never used in interviews in an official capacity. That and the form was even taller than her current one and didn't fit comfortably in most doorways.

"Yes! Crusher likes shiny things and you are very shiny and pretty!" Ears back and teeth bared in bashfulness he stomped over to the trapdoor and angry gestured her into the dimly lit tunnels, "Will you get in the tunnels! Please!"

"Of course, I will handsome." She tilted her chin down and narrowed her eyes in a pleased squint, the Appoplexian version of a flirty smile. Crusher made a panicked noise and gestured franticly to the tunnel, Annie took pity on the easily flustered male and ignored the ladder entirely to jump straight down. Her blushing guide followed, and the Gentleman Bartender shut the door after them. The walk was made in silence, Annie too preoccupied with monitoring ahead and behind her for any suspicious noises and her guide too embarrassed to speak to her. The whole tunnel was lined with explosives, what she could make out without looking suspicious looked like common C-4, they passed under other wholes dug in the ceiling or into ground from the above perspective. It took them just 10 minutes of walking to reach the right ladder.

Crusher went up the ladder first and banged on the door once, a female Florauna open it up asked a passcode quest that Annie assumed Crusher answered right because they were both let up and out of tunnels without being attacked or blown up.

"Lemme tell ya something Flaxa! This pretty client here is supposed to meet with someone to see if she wants to hire them for a job! Please take her to them!" The Florauna Flaxa just nodded quietly and motion Annie to follow her out of the VIP room and into the main bar. Smokey again goddamn it, but this time with a purpose.

The smoke filling the room was so that aliens that needed helmets to breath on earth could sit comfortably without being fully suited up. The smoke was designed so that both beings that were primarily under water and came from planets that lacked an atmosphere that was filled with Earth's unique mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen could breathe comfortably. Annie had to help Baumann unload, shelve, and store a shipment of special air condition units for that produced the same smoke for at home just last month. For patrons that needed a more direct source there were hookahs on all the tables. So, Annie kept her grumbling about smoke to herself just this once.

As Flaxa lead her further towards the bar and the front door Annie spotted a familiar face. Or in this case, bubble. "I see the perfect being for the job right now Flaxa. No need to guide me lovely I'll go, talk, to them now." She smirked and made her way across the bar as quickly as she could without looking too suspicious to the other patrons. Annie reached the wannabe bomber where he was sitting at the bar and nursing something that released the occasional spark seemingly independent of the little straw Bubbles was stirring through it.

"A cool drink after a hard run is just the best isn't it?" She asked cheerily adjusting her body suit so the Omnitrix showed though again. He gave an absent nod in agreement.

"Yeah, I totally know what you mean, it's like tasting air for the first time right?" He croaked back turning to her. His narrow eyes widened when his gaze fell on the gold symbol resting on her breast, he made an aborted motion to cut and run but Annie moved before he could.

"Plumbers! You're under arrest!" She barked and punched him so hard he flew over the counter before he could activate a weapon. The other patrons of the bar all began to leave en masse the second she declared herself, all of them being escorted to the winding tunnels that she'd been guided through minuets ago many grumbling about 'those damned Red Spots' the whole way. Annie didn't move to chase them down, there was no way she'd be able to navigate those tunnels, not without a guide or a map or a month to learn them, but those other criminals would pop up again and she'd be there to snatch them out of their hidey-holes gleefully.

Bubble Helmet stumbled to his feet, but Annie turned and shot out all the sealed windows with her crystals so the gas he was breathing drained out and he staggered gasping. When he lunged for the helmets hung on the wall, she vaulted the counter, tackled him, and stuck him to the wall.

"Tell me who's making the bombs and why. Or," Annie went over to the helmet rack took one and shattered it in her hand, "I'll keep smashing these until they run out or you lose consciousness. The key to getting one and not suffocating here and now is to tell. Me. The truth." _Smash_ , _smash_ , _smash_ went three helmets one after the other.

Bubble kept struggling for air and gasping but kept silent until Annie was down to the last helmet and seemed to realize she was really serious about breaking them all and caved finally.

"Please! Don't! Its, Psyphon! Wants tayden and control of businesses. Please. Give. Please." He huffed out. But Annie could sense the unsaid secret and made a blade out her other hand and started scratching at the surface threating to pierce it and make it unusable. He flailed a bit in defiance but went limp in defeat and probable chorine deprivation.

"Based past. East pipes. Wood construction. Old train." Finally, he'd been turning an alarming shade of grey.

"Good boy." Annie slotted the helmet into place on his robotic suit and broke his crystal cocoon from the wall and drug him out of the bar with her even as he sucked in gas like he'd never get it again. She flicked her comm open to Rook's frequency.

"Hey Rookie! My bait was so good I caught an entire bubble blower!" She cheered.

 _-That is wonderful to hear Specialist! I have done my best get as you recommended and directed the cleanup teams where they need to go in Underwood. I am ashamed to admit I do not have as many proper witness statements as I had hoped. Many people give many different stories Specialist. Over.-_ The poor thing sounded so confused.

"That's how people are sometimes Rook. For every practically perfect statement you get, you're bound to take down at least 30 bogus ones, but learning the get the clear truth from muck is a skill you pick up. I'm sure you'll have it down in no time. Over."

 _-I do not see how it is possible to "pick up" a skill. Taught yes, but it cannot be so simple as to find one left on the ground for the taking. Over.-_ Oh stars _._

"It's an expression Rook, a human saying. And please call me Annie dude."

 _-Oh, okay. Annie-Dude. Over.- Whap!_ Annie's hand met her forehead so instinctively she almost lost her grip on Bubbles the Clown she was dragging.

 _-What was that slapping sound Specia-ah, Annie-Dude? Over.-_ She groaned and muttered to her unwilling tag along. "A piece of my sanity leaving me with nothing in the divorce."

"Anyway Rook, I have the last escapee and I'm on my way to your location. Tell the DRAIN team to be ready to move when I get there, I got the location of the hideout and it matches our scans of the city exactly. Over."

 _-Yes Specialist! Rook out.-_ She forgot how shiny and new being a plumber/superhero used to be. It was nice to see a bit of that old shine in someone new maybe Grandpa had a point in picking this one out for her. Not that Annie would ever tell him that, he'd be smug for months, best just to let him think she barely listens to his advice.

Annie arrived at the side tunnel the DRAIN team had set up their temporary base in with her awake and now struggling captive in tow. Rook standing at parade rest near the entrance obviously scanning the crowd for her quickly marched over, took in the ease with which she hauled Guppy Boy after her even in back in her human skin and wisely didn't offer to carry him for her.

"Did you encounter any trouble tracking him down Spe- Annie-Dude?" The taller asked her.

Annie sighed but didn't give into the urge to nearly slap herself again. "Listen Rookie, my name is _Annie_ , just Annie. Not Annie-Dude. Dude is a casual title you give to someone male presenting in Human English, not the second part of my given name okay?" He nodded looking just a bit guilty about the frustration in her voice. Annie softened her tone; she didn't want to bite his head off just make sure he understood the way she preferred to operate. "If you're going to stick around, I don't want us to be so formal all the time that's just super stiff and boring as fuck. Just call me Annie. The only thing I have over you is experience alright. Grandpa even said you're like two years older than me on your planet anyway, there's no need to kiss up to me or anything. We can be cool dude."

Rooks ears twitched and his steady march at her side faltered for a second as he took a wide step like he was going over a puddle but his next five were back to being perfectly measured so Annie left it alone. Maybe his culture was really formal and being made to be so familiar with a superior was a bit left field for him.

"I, I understand fully ..Annie. Magister Tennyson said that we would be spending nearly all of our time with each other and that you preferred a less formal form of address even in headquarters. I was simply nervous about meeting someone so widely admired and well known. We have a class on you in the Plumbers Academy, and you came up often during lessons about strategizing on the fly. I apologize if I was too starstruck. Annie" Rook stopped on a dime, turned sharply to her, and bowed at the waist like some kind of story book knight.

Aww he was so well meaning and honorable. Annie was sure Rook Blonko would make a truly great Plumber one maybe even one of the best. But bowing in the middle of a slightly illegal market was a little weird. She sighed and pressed a hand to Rook's shoulder gently encouraging him to stand straight again.

"You really don't have to bow or salute or anything Rook. Remember be cool dude." She flapped a hand in a 'calm down' gesture.

"How fucking sweet." Smoke'N'Bubbles rasped from the ground. Annie just gave him a little reprimanding shake and started walking again. Rook followed without being prompted and they finally got to the large eighteen-wheeler truck that doubled as DRAIN's portable headquarters.

"Please put this one in holding, will you?" Annie asked handing her captive over to the Tetramand on the team. "He's mouthy so feel free to make sure he doesn't get desserts with meals when we get him to headquarters yeah?" The red skinned alien nodded and easily hauled the struggling worm eater over a broad shoulder and trotted off to toss her burden in with his fellows.

Another member of DRAIN approached, the leader from the series of black incomplete black stripes circling around their bicep. Command had to be easily identified but not so obviously that assailants could pick them out of the team proper so a compromise. The sedate grey and black of the proto armor they wore broken up by a three stack of black rings with a gap in them. The gaps were in different places to denote different things and the alien's uniform in front of her told her they were the squad's Sargent. An Anodite surprisingly enough. They rarely left their planet expect to gather knowledge or on diplomatic missions. They were usually a race more focused on the self than the whole so seeing one as a Plumber much less in command of a team was a surprising. Even more impressive that they'd managed to rise to Command a DRAIN team.

DRAIN was the Plumbers answer to S.W.A.T., a team meant to handle high risk situations like bombings, as they were now, or off world terrorist threats that the normal authorities didn't have the fire or manpower to handle. Each squad member was highly trained and only allowed to even try and qualify after they'd had at least 5 years of experience with the Plumbers and the backing of a Magister. It was the most exclusive position in the Plumbers besides becoming a Magister and Annie heard stories about people who tried their whole Plumber career to try and get a place on a squad. Annie knew her name was on a roster for a command position with her own handpicked team somewhere just waiting for when she was older, but she just didn't see herself where the Anodite in front of her was. It'd be the end of her freedom.

"Specialist I am called Bardon. The Private here informed me that you got your captive to give an accurate description on the base?" Ah male, good to know. Anodites use a particular naming scheme that make it easy to tell both gender and rank amongst their society.

"Yes Sargent, I'm sure I'll be able to point it out on a map so let's get to pointing so we can get this raid over with and I can go get a real meal." Bardon's face creased just slightly, the Anodite version of worry.

"Specialist have you yet to eat an adequate meal? I'm aware that you need to consume many more calories than the typical human, I'm sure one of the Privates here on clean up would be more than happy to track down something for you to eat." He offered one lilac hand coming up to motion to the nearest Private: Rook. Beside her Rook shifted, one foot almost grinding into the dirt. Annie just waved Bardon off.

"No need Sargent. I can eat later and besides, the Rookie here and I have been running all over Underwood today. If we don't move fast word might reach our bad guys and they'll go to ground and the next time we hear about them will be when they blow up H.Q."

Bardon performed a perfect about face, "Right away Specialist. Follow me to the transport and then we can work on a game plan for capturing and detaining the terrorists and keep them from blowing up Headquarters."

"Right behind you Bardon." Annie began following in Bardon's wake but a noise, or lack of stopped her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Rook but not where he was supposed to be. "What are you doing?"

Rook stopped giving his boots sad kitty eyes and snapped up to look at her. He looked around quickly but realized she was indeed talking to him and looked confused instead. "I am waiting for you to be done with the debriefing Annie?" He asked instead of stated.

"Why?" He just looked more confused.

"Because I am not ranked high enough to join you Annie?" A question again like he didn't already know the answer.

"What the hell gave you that impression? You're my partner, aren't you? That means where I go, you go. So, come on already, I need your smarts to bring down a potential terrorist protection racket." Rook smiled and stepped up beside her.

They stepped into the temporary War Room side by side.

Annie appeared out of the foot traffic in the crowded marketplace like a vision. A strong vision Blonko amended when he saw the crystal trapped criminal, she was dragging by the collar. The Bubble Head Criminal, as Annie called him, bucked hard trying to wrench free of her grip and Blonko took a step forward to help if he managed it, but Annie handled him easily. She used his own force against him to haul him up as he bucked as far forward as he could, picked him up as he scrunched up, and let him slam helmet first into the ground and his face into the helmet. And then she continued walking towards Blonko as simple as breathing.

She was so lovely.

He couldn't help but wilt just a bit as she gently scolded him for his wrong form of address. Then when he bowed in apology to her, she pressed one small scarred and callused hand to his shoulder and bided him to stand and be proud of his own accomplishments. Just the faintest wisps of a sent that had to be Annie floated up to him from that hand and Blonko suddenly desperately wished he'd been born a Chronosapien so he could stop time and savor this one moment forever.

Then the deplorable criminal bound to Annie had to ruin it and Blonko wished he'd been the one to capture him so he could have punched him at least once. Maybe once he was in jail Blonko could somehow make sure he in particular did not get yard time with the other prisoners. But then Blonko nearly tripped over his own feet when the words "kiss up to me" left Annie's mouth, directed at him.

' _K-k-k-ki-! Wait Blonko!'_ He nearly physically shook the image of Annie ki- no! _'Do not get carried away! By the Harvest but these 'Earth sayings' are going to give me a heart murmur.'_

Thankfully saving himself further embarrassment they soon reached the mouth of the tunnel the incredible DRAIN had turned into their mission base. Annie handed her capture off and the Sargent approached them. DRAIN was composed of the most elite plumbers on the force, the single plumber stationed on his home planet said that even the Max Tennyson had to serve on the Alpha DRAIN team for a year before they gave him command of a team. Each member of DRAIN was the best of the best and Blonko had been overjoyed when they allowed him to stay and shadow them while they prepped. Now the Commander of the squad was approaching them!

It was awe inspiring to watch the two interact. Annie, savoir of the earth, the Sword and Shield of the Universe, Chosen of First Thinker Azmuth, wielder of the Ultimate Weapon. Bardon the Commander of DRAIN team Alpha, the best of the three DRAIN teams, the greatest of the best of the best. Annie's whole posture changed from the earth girl with an overdeveloped sense of justice to the Annie Infinite in a blink. The air of command and accomplishment the two gave off, the way everyone else on the site politely, almost meekly, gave up space to the two, flowing around them and never disturbing them. Blonko was seeing the real difference between them.

Blonko did not command troops. He could not turn the tide of a battle by himself. He was not entrusted with a position both inside and a-part from the Plumbers Association. Blonko was just a farm boy from a backwater planet that got lucky and just so happened to be put on a tour on Earth at the right time. He almost got kicked out of the Plumbers for prioritizing the wrong things during one of the only team missions he'd been scouted for. Blonko was a temporary replacement until Annie's real partners, both equally powerful and well known could rejoin her.

Just a stand in, like a crop that was planted only to keep the soil from running off in the rainy season and would be ripped up and replaced before it could even plant deep roots. Blonko's feet were suddenly rooted to the ground. He knew he should be following after Annie; he should be there waiting like a good soldier when she got out of the briefing. But his feet were like pickling stones: so heavy he needed two other people to lift them. Why did he ever think he could be anything but a weight to someone so much greater than he? Why did he-

"What are you doing?" Annie. Annie was in front of him. Looking up at him. Talking to him. He had to talk back.

"I am waiting for you to be done with the debriefing Annie?" Why was that a question and why was he asking it? Annie's golden-brown eyes gave him an amused look.

"Why?" Like the Little One with his constant ' _why'_ phase. Always looking for answers on why things are done the way they are done even though no one has a real answer anymore.

"Because I am not ranked high enough to join you Annie?" His time to say her name like he knew her, like she knew him was drawing to a close. He had to fill himself with as much of her as he could before he only heard her through the radio or saw her on Intergalactic Plumbers Reports.

"What the hell gave you that impression? You're my partner, aren't you?" A smile and a sentence said so easily, like it was nothing. But it was everything to him.

Annie already thought of him like a partner! Like someone she would keep around! Joy tingled up and down Blonko's arms and legs. When she motioned at him, he followed without a second thought.

The War room briefing took mostly 15 minutes max mainly because the DRAIN Alpha team had been staking out the general location of Psyphon's not so little protection racket. They only needed Annie to confirm the location and then get the go ahead from Magister Patelliday. Soon Annie, Rook, and the Alpha team were in fresh gear and moving through the pipes to surround the unused train tracks and wooden scaffolding that made up Psyphon's base.

Soon the whole team was perched in the shadows of pipes and scaffolding waiting on the 'go no go' order from Annie. She waited with Rook on one side and Bardon on the other, Rook shuffling nervously and Bardon still as a stone sighting down his modified laser rifle.

Annie leaned into the Sargent and whispered, "Do you confirm sighting of the target?"

Bardon made a minuet adjustment and Psyphon appeared in his scope sight, "Sighting confirmed, waiting on bio-scan. Confirmed voice match, confirmed iris match, target is confirmed. Repeat target confirmed."

"Go, go, go. Breach, breach. Let's go Rook!" Annie jumped Rook following her down into the lost train tracks and softened her landing on some poor smuck. Soon they were both engaged with punching people in the face while laser blasts took out people around them from Bardon's high perch.

Soon most of the small fry were wrapped up and ready to be taken back to HQ for sentencing expect Psyphon. The former lacky had managed to shoot one of the DRAIN team members in the leg and knock out another.

"Annie Infinite! So, you finally tracked me down and came to stop me!" Psyphon declared.

"No, not really. I actually didn't remember you escaped until your bubble buddy name dropped you when I was stepping on his neck. But I'm always happy punch an asshole in the face ya know? So, win win." She shrugged and tiled one hand in a 'so-so' gesture. Psyphon gasped like the drama queen he was and pointed a very dramatic accusing finger.

"Tennyson! I'll end you here and now! And then there will be no one to stop me from taking over the earth and from there the universe!" He shouted and aimed his arm blaster at her but then Bardon was on the comm shouting.

"Watch out Infinite!"

"Wha-!" Something big and four legged barreled out of the tunnel's overhead and tackled Annie though the wood scaffolding.

"Annie NO!" Rook called out reaching for the brand-new hole in the wall but Psyphon finally made up his mind to fire and cut off his attempted rescue.

"Don't turn your back on me boy! You're wearing the same PROTO-armor that brat does." Psyphon growled and readjusted his aim priming his arm blaster for a more lethal shot, "I'll peal it off your dead body and study it to make myself stronger than ever!" He fired on the Revonnahgander.

Rook back flipped away from the path of the blast and tried to weave his way over to the hole that Annie disappeared into, but his path was blocked again by the villain. He glared at the other alien and bared his teeth in silent threat while switching his TUL to the more combat suited semi-automatic pistol Psyphon tried to fire on him again, but a different shot came down and hit him in the arm.

"I've got your back Private." Bardon fried off 3 more well place shots that drove Psyphon off of the balcony, away from the downed Plumbers, and to the ground so Rook could meet him face to face. Psyphon high kicked at Rook's head but he ducked and shoved his gun in the villain's face but before he could fire Psyphon extended his kick into a backflip and took to the air.

He was met with Bardon's fire power, but he proved swifter in the air than on the ground and looped up towards the ceiling before sweeping down and getting under Rook's guard fast enough to land a hard hit to the chest. Rook went flying but managed to control his landing well enough to roll back to his feet and turn to a golden lasso to try and pull Psyphon out of the air. The villain's momentum was staled only for a moment before he corrected and flew higher and faster trying to slam Rook into a wall as he blew right through it.

But Rook's armor protected him through the crash, and he broke through stone with relative ease since Psyphon broke through it first and it was just a matter of surviving the debris for Rook. He detached his lasso, rolled to the ground, and came up in the combat firing stance aiming for Psyphon's head. Rook fired three times but Psyphon dodged all of them and swooped down and into an axe kick trying to drop Rook so he could capture him and strip his armor, but Rook was ready for him. He side stepped the powerful kick, grabbed the crook's leg with one arm, locked the other hand in collar and slammed him into the ground once, twice, three times snarling. Psyphon flailed in pain briefly, clawed at Rook and shoved his arm cannon in his face trying to fire but Rook always knew it needed five seconds to warm up and fire. More than enough time when he was this close to his opponent.

Rook struck out at his opponent with lightning speed. He latched on to the cannon arm and wrenched Psyphon around, the missed shot going off in another direction, slammed him into the ground again face first this time, stood and swung the other man around by the leg he still had trapped in one arm. Psyphon got great air when Rook chucked him into the wall and gave a good scream as he sailed through the air, and a satisfying crunch when he hit the wall. But Rook didn't have time to admire Annie needed help and he would provide it so Rook was in Psyphon's face again before he could struggle out of the wall he'd been thrown into. He ran up and sucker punched him twice before bringing a knee up and into his chin when Psyphon groaned and went limp Rook seized the chance and whipped out some Plumber issue hand cuffs. Before Psyphon could regain the wits to really fight back Rook had both hands bound, Plumber issue hand cuff differed from normal earth hand cuffs because they while they did lock around the wrists there was a four inch piece of metal that produced a collar like attached meant that prevented those with enhancements from trying to escape or fire off weapons for fear of harming themselves. When Psyphon registered the click if the cuff locking around his neck panic cleared his head enough the try fighting Rook again.

"NO! NO! RELEASE ME! I REFUSE TO GO BACK TO JAIL I JUST GOT OUT! LET ME GO YOU BLUE FURRED NOBODY! LET ME GO!" He began to thrash and howl. But Rook refused to listen and just dragged the protesting villain back through the hole they made and to where they'd staged the initial ambush.

Sargent Bardon was waiting for him with the rest of the uninjured DRAIN squadron and the remains of Psyphon's gang all cuffed like their boss. Rook hauled Psyphon over and forced him to kneel with the others before turning to Bardon.

"Where is Annie? We must go and help her with that beast immediately!" He urged the Sargent.

Bardon shook his head, "None of us can accompany you Private. The injured need to tending to until paramedics arrive, and the prisoners need watching. She's made brief contact to confirm she's still alright, but she didn't stay on the comms long enough to give a location. You go ahead and get down there to help her out Private."

"Yes Sir!" Rook popped a salute and ran to the hole Annie had been swept down what seemed like forever ago. _'Please be okay Annie, I am coming.'_ Rook jumped and was quickly swallowed by darkness.

Annie grunted as something big slammed into her right as Rook and Sargent Bardon's voices called out to her. "Watch out Infinite!" "Annie NO!" The last saw before it was nothing, but darkness was Rook reaching for her through a hail of laser fire.

"Aah! Fucking shit!" She cried out in pain as she was slammed into the ground _again_ fuck, she was going to give the chiropractor so much of her money. The four-legged monster looming over her reared back and opened its fanged mouth wide to bite her head off but Annie was _so_ not going to get eaten today or any other. She hooked her feet on its back legs and pulled herself out of the way as it struck down and got a mouth full of concert. Rolling to her feet she turned her gloves up to the max setting, the full dose of electricity could stop a human's heart and stun a Tetramand, hopefully it'd be enough to at least hurt this beast. Her comm crackled to life, the stone over her head making the connection weak and staticky.

"Infinite! Ini-t-! Come in – yo- oka-, repor- stat- -port!" Bardon's voice crackled out of her wrist she slapped a hand to the watch and called back.

"Bardon! Status green! Engaged in combat!" And then she focused back in on the beast.

As the beast ripped it's jaw out of the ground and spit chunks of sewer soaked concrete Annie scrambled up it's back and slammed her sparking gloves into the base of its neck. It screeched and bucked hard throwing her in the air, but Annie righted herself midair and landed on her feet. The beast's legs wobbled, and it turned unsteadily shaking it's head, good she dazed it at least. Before the beast could get its wits back Annie was changing and growing into a different form.

Apeshock gave a screeching hoot that echoed in the dark arena the sewer had turned into, she winched as the smell hit her more sensitive nose but didn't dwell on it and gave the beast two more rapid electricity laced punches that packed enough force to shatter concrete and forced the beast to stagger back. Apeshock pressed her attack, she had no idea what this thing was or why it was attacking her, and she needed to get back topside and make sure Rook and the DRAIN team were all okay. She had to get back soon. "You better go down the next time I hit you or we're going to have a problem bucko!" She hooted in anger and slammed her fists down. Electricity rushed across the damp ground straight to the beast. It howled as it was struck and wobbled again but refused to go down and charged her. But her powerful legs let her jump over its head and into the air again while in the air she took a quick scan of her surroundings. She almost grinned when she heard a familiar echoing screech of train tracks though a tunnel. How absolutely perfect. She came down and pushed her own electricity into her muscles to speed herself up and slammed into the beast shoulder first like a linebacker with a grudge. They broke through the brick wall and burst out into the next tunnel with ease, and low and behold on the ground were the exact train tracks she's heard a moment ago. Perfect.

Apeshock leapt towards the middle track before the beast could recover from her tackle and latched onto the middle track and let the power flow up into her. The beast hauled it's self out of the wall and charged her again screeching but went down and stayed down when 650 volts of electricity stuck it right in the chest. The force of the electricity hitting it threw it back a couple feet down the tunnel, right as its probably dead body landed Rook bounded through the hole, she'd made earlier.

"Annie! I came as fast as possible are you well?" He had his TUL in rifle form and pinned on the beast as it struggled to its feet.

"Yep Rookie, anyhoo how's everybody topside eh? They get all the baddies captured?" She asked releasing the middle rail and moving to get more room to prep for if the beast get back on its feet. Rook moved with her, settling two steps behind and to the left of her so he could provide cover fire, what a good rookie.

"Yes Annie. All of the 'baddies' have been captured and all DRAIN team members area accounted for but two were injured in the struggle with Psyphon." He reported his rifle warming up with a low whine.

The beast struggled to it's feet, stumbling and twitching from left over volts still firing through its nervous system, just when it seemed about to get its feet under it and attack again light and the blare of a horn filled the tunnel and then suddenly the beast was slammed into by a hover bus. Apeshock and Rook flinched in shock at the startled shriek the beast gave and Apeshock rushed after it, grabbing onto the back the bus and planting her feet to pull it to a stop. Once the bus was still Rook pounded up beside her and rounded the front ready to defend the screaming civilians inside and Apeshock rushed after him. But when they got to the front there was nothing, just a bus with busted windshield and scared civvies inside. The fuck?

"Well, what the hell was that even for?" Annie gestured at the empty tunnel as she shrunk back down to her human form. Rook stepped up beside her and holstered his TUL to his shoulder mount.

"I do not know Annie, but we must return to the Site of Psyphon's base. There are two injured on the DRAIN team and the criminals we captured have to be processed and that must be done with you present." He said before the hover bus driver was leaning out his window screaming at them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing standing in the middle of the tunnel for eh? I've got passengers to drop off and passengers to pick up! Fucking move your asses! Fucking Red Spots! That thing took out my fucking breaks jackass! Of all the shit to happen to me on a goddamn Wednesday! Oh, I swear to the stars!" Still cussing the driver stomped on the gas and took off paying no mind to the plumbers he'd just cussed out or the fact that his brakes were out.

"Wait! You have no brakes!" Rook called out looking fit to go run the bus down, but Annie stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

She shook her head at him, "I think he'll figure it out eventually Rook. Let's get back to Bardon and his squad and then out of this cavern, I could use some food and fresh air."

As they approached the hole in the wall to begin climbing back out Annie gave the tunnels one last scan. If the beast really wanted to keep attacking it would've already been back with a vengeance and it wouldn't be smart to attack now while she still had access to the middle rail to give her a power up if she chooses an electric type form. No, if she was looking to kill her, she'd wait. The beast would come back later and try to catch her alone again if it was smart. Annie turned and clambered over the pile of rubble and began making her way back up with Rook at her side.

She'd be ready when it did.


End file.
